This relates to testing electronic devices, and, more particularly, to field testing wireless electronic devices in environments that are prone to multipath interference.
Electronic devices such as cellular telephones include wireless circuitry. It is often desirable to test wireless electronic devices in the field so that the performance of the devices can be evaluated under real world conditions. It may, for example, be desirable to evaluate how well a device receives Global Positioning System (GPS) signals from GPS satellites through the earth's atmosphere. Tests of this type may be difficult or impossible to perform in a laboratory.
Multipath interference can arise when radio-frequency signals reflect off of objects such as buildings and the ground before reaching a device under test. When performing testing such as GPS testing, multipath interference can make accurate measurements difficult to obtain. The impact of multipath interference can sometimes be minimized by taking numerous measurements over an extended period of time and averaging these measurements. While making measurements over extended periods of time can be helpful in reducing multipath noise, this approach is not always convenient or practical and reduces test throughput.
It would therefore be desirable to be able to provide improved ways in which to avoid the effects of multipath interference when testing wireless electronic devices.